


The Missteps of Your Emotions

by Corveille



Category: Detroit: Become Human (Video Game)
Genre: Anniversary, Awkwardness, Ballroom Dancing, Case Fic, Gavin Reed Being Less of an Asshole, Idiots being bad at emotions, M/M, Masks, Party, Protective Upgraded Connor | RK900, Soft Upgraded Connor | RK900, Tina Chen & Gavin Reed Friendship, Undercover, theme
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-07
Updated: 2019-07-07
Packaged: 2020-06-22 07:02:33
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 8,498
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19662232
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Corveille/pseuds/Corveille
Summary: Undercover missions were rarely something Gavin had to deal with. He'd had his fair share of course, busting some Red Ice rings here and there or passing as someone else to gather some juicy details about the criminal network, that sort of thing.Five consecutive murders of android and human couples did not fall under either of those categories.





	The Missteps of Your Emotions

**Author's Note:**

> Happy Birthday New ERA! _Birthday songs plays_
> 
> It certainly was a lot of fun to do this birthday event and having everyone coming up with different ideas. Here is ours! Hope you enjoy it :)
> 
> Amazing art was made by lovely [Ecchima](https://twitter.com/Ecchimas_art), who also helped proof read bits of this monster of a fic, so big thanks for that as well!
> 
> (Will I ever be able to write something short? Nope, doesn't seems like it.)

Undercover missions were rarely something Gavin had to deal with. He'd had his fair share of course, busting some Red Ice rings here and there or passing as someone else to gather some juicy details about the criminal network, that sort of thing. 

Five consecutive murders of android and human couples did not fall under either of those categories.

It’d become the topic of discussion around the general public and a thorn on the side for his department. The news had given the nickname _the Ballroom Killer_ as all of the murders had taken place during big parties.

Usually this sort of shit would've been tossed to Anderson and his plastic pet. They were the ones that often dealt with android crimes but they already had so much on their plate even Connor had started complaining about it in his robotic sort of way. (His light tended to be stuck on yellow these days). And so, the case was passed to the next cop with an android partner.

Fowler had been breathing down his neck for weeks, pressuring Gavin to get some results which, on fucking _hindsight_ , wasn’t the easiest thing to do when so little information was given. 

There had been no fingerprints left on each scene and all the memory cards had been removed from the victims, leaving them in the dark. Sure, they had found wine stains, as well as dog’s hair. But what did that tell them other than the fact this crazy bastard apparently liked expensive brands of red wine and to be in the company of pitbulls? They already guessed their culprit could be some pampered rich fuck, given the fancy parties the crimes had taken place in.

And although some guests had reported witnessing suspicious activity, so far the descriptions had been vague at best….

_“I saw a man with black hair... or maybe it was dark brown?”_

...a complete waste of his fucking time at worse, 

_“His shoes were horrendous and I think his cologne smelled like fish.”_

_“No, I’m pretty sure it was like wet dog.”_

fucking pretentious pricks.

After countless dead ends and no activity from the killer, light finally shone through the end of the tunnel in the form of a gala for the one year anniversary of the android revolution. Some famous painter had brought up the event in hopes of showing support to the plastics...or something. To be fair, his brain didn’t retain all the numbing details Fowler had thrown at him, just the important bits.

The mission was simple in theory: get in, lure the killer out and arrest him. Realistically, well… let's just say Gavin would be able to confirm once and for all if there was some truth to this whole _'upgraded model'_ speech this asshole loved to preach around his copycat.

“We have arrived, detective.” RK said in a monotone as he killed the engine of the car.

Gavin looked up from the game he'd been playing for the last hour on his phone. The Tin-can had parked a few feet away from the front gates of the party hall. Far enough to not draw attention, but still a decent spot to have a clear view of the entrance. From his seat, he could see the rush of people going in, dressed formally and exceeding elegance as they walked. He tucked his phone in the pocket of his suit and turned his head to the android.

“Think we’ll get lucky and catch this bastard?”

“I cannot say for certain, but I am feeling confident tonight.” Gavin let out a small snort. _‘Feeling’_ being a relative term here. Despite his claims of being more than capable to feel this Tin-can could not emote to save his life, always wearing a face that would put professional poker players to shame. Most Gavin had seen him gain in the four months they’d worked together was the ability to actually move the corners of his lips or those thick eyebrows more naturally. Still didn't get rid of the awkwardness around them every time the RK900 did that.

“Confident, right.” Gavin mocked and felt around to open the glove box. Once he found what he was looking for, he exited the car.

A cold breeze hit his face the moment he left the warm comfort of the air conditioned vehicle. Remains of the humidity caused by three days of rain engulfed him like a starved beast, making his body feel heavier. The shirt of his grey tux started to cling to him uncomfortably and his tie felt like a noose around his neck. He played around with the knock to loosen it.

The last time Gavin wore a suit had been back when he graduated from the academy. He could still remember clearly how Tina had drenched him in beer after having a glass more than she could handle. He watched two couples a few feet in front of him as they chatted animatedly with one another with faces hidden under plastic and metal, before looking down at the half-mask in his hands. 

He remembered Fowler’s words.

_You’ll wear this to recognize each other and try to get the killer's attention. A patrol will be close by, should you have any trouble, and Officer Chen, Miller and Wilson will be your backup._

His mask had a pretty basic design, all things considered. An animated starlit night with a metal ornament coming out of its side, meant to be a crescent moon. But, as always, Fowler could not have left things as simple, of course not. These came pre-installed with a holographic screen, allowing the stars to project above it like small fireflies. They danced around Gavin’s fingers in shining ripples of light. Gavin felt around the back of the mask and turned the holograms off with a scowl. 

He heard the driver's door close as RK walked around to stand next to him. Hands clasped behind his back with his head held high facing forward and feet separated a few inches apart. 

A tall and imposing figure, as the android often tended to be.

He'd changed his Cyberlife clothes for a white cotton shirt hidden under a midnight blue waistcoat with matching slim dress pants. A black coat was hugging his built figure. Gavin's eyes caught a glimpse of a metal ornament coming out of it’s left pocket.

"Did you really have to go for the biggest polyester coat in the damn store?" It was bad enough when the android wore his usual white jacket at work, now with that thick thing on, he looked like one of those weird PI guys on a questionable TV show.

RK took his time to fix his tie before answering.

"It's wool."

"Does it look like I give a shit?"

"No," Gavin limited himself to scoff at that, already used to the android's bluntness. " You seem a little tense, Detective."

"Don't you go talking about tense when you look like a penguin with a stick up his ass." RK slumped his shoulders in retaliation but it did little to fix his tense stance. Clicking his tongue, Gavin dropped his mask on top of a bench with a small clank and got into the Tin-can's personal space. He then grabbed at RK's elbows, ignoring the way his LED changed into an uneasy yellow.

"Relax you damn terminator, you're going to give us away." Gavin tugged at RK's arms a few times until the toaster took the hint. He let the limbs be guided away from his back to rest on his sides, but didn't quite relaxed his hands, still balled up into fists. "Loosen up," Gavin ordered while tapping at RK's tailored shoes. He moved them a little closer to each other and one by one, the clenched fingers went limp.

Gavin stepped back to inspect his work. It was by no means perfect, but still infinite times better than before. "Get a move on, we're wasting time here." He dismissed with a flick of his wrist, using the other hand to bring the mask to his face.

RK adjusted his own. Its surface was printed with snow white feathers, speckled with glowing blue dots. The ornament sticking from the right side resembled a wing while the nose ended in a long beak. The feathers were shifting across the mask, breaking down in shapes as if they were ruffling, creating the illusion that the wing was moving. Some of them would fall and float down gently, before dispersing in small fragments.

Gavin saw, just barely, the glow of a LED painting the underside of the mask in a smooth, blue tint.

"Shall we, Mr. Coleman?" RK asked, nodding at the metal gates.  
  
Gavin felt around the fake ID safety nestled on his suit jacket. "Right after you, asshole," he bowed with his arms out in a fit of dramatic mockery. RK only gave him a nod and took the lead. 

They soon found themselves in front of the building, flanked by two guards standing on either side of the doors. One a bald man, maybe around his forties, who was holding a sheet of paper. The other an android coming just a head shorter than his glorified toaster. Gavin idly wondered what fetish those Cyberlife freaks had with making all their androids fucking giants.

"Name and ID," Baldy said curtly with a glare before giving a glance at RK, "androids gotta register with Frank." He pointed to the android guard with a finger who looked back at Gavin with a bored expression.

"Rod Coleman," Gavin answered and gave him the ID card while RK moved to interface with the other guard. He made a mental note to give Fowler hell for choosing such a shitty name later.

As Baldy rummaged through the list of guests, Gavin took the time to watch the two toasters peel the synthetic skin off their arms as they connected. He could admit he was a little curious about the whole process, ever since he'd seen Connor do it in the interrogation room.

He remembered how that Ortiz android had reacted when Connor threatened to interface, and what happened right after they did. He got that it was intrusive and left those junks of metal vulnerable and yet, so many other androids did it regularly like it was just an ordinary, if a bit longer than necessary, handshake.

RK's eyes blinked rapidly and his arms jolted as information was shared between them. In no more than a few seconds the connection ended and he let go of the arm. He tilted his head questioningly when he caught Gavin's staring. With a tsk of his tongue, Gavin turned to look back at his own guard and pointedly chose to ignore what just happened. He heard more than he saw the Tin-can step back at his side.

"Welcome, Mr. Coleman." Gavin got the ID back and the man stepped aside, inviting them to move inside, the flicker in his eyes a subtle telling of just how done he was with all the pleasantries he’s had to give that night. 

The place wasn't exactly overfilled but it sure was full.

The party hall was, as expected, really fucking fancy. White cream pillars with speakers on top of them created a tame contrast with the beige walls. Sea blue ribbons spread from one column to the next, falling over the doors that lead outside into the gardens. A man dressed in a big mask shaped like a swan was walking around in a wooden stand, greeting everyone while some musicians played further in the back.

Some of the guests were sitting on a circle of elegant armchairs painted in the same blue hue, set under neat art pieces on the walls that the guests were admiring. Something abstract, from what Gavin could see. Bouquets of red and white roses lay on each table, on top of a knitted cloth. The final touch, a crystal chandelier hanging from the ceiling in the middle of the room, and a bar to his far right near the bathrooms.

He let out a low whistle, "damn, at least they got the bar part right."

"Do not get distracted." RK whispered in his ear, causing a shiver to run down Gavin's spine.

"Holy- step the fuck back a little, will you? I don't need you plastic holding my hand along the way." More fake feathers fell as the other blinked at him but did as asked.

"I'm merely reminding you what we came here for."

"I _get it_ Siri, I know how to do my damn job." Gavin sneered as he crossed one arm over the other. His index finger tapped his bicep as he thought over their next move. "So we need to spot this fucker amongst at least eighty other people, let's split to cover more ground."

"Ah, the classic divide and conquer."

"You have a better idea inside that metal head?" Gavin rasped, eyes daring RK to defy him.

"Quite the contrary, I think that's our best strategy." And with a quick nod, his partner vanished in the sea of people. Gavin’s eye twitched in irritation as he moved in the opposite direction.

The music coming from the speakers was a classic piece of piano and violin. A graceful and quite beautiful melody, he could admit. However, as the minutes passed, Gavin found it repetitive in his ears. He couldn’t really put a name to the song. (He’d never been patient enough to learn about classical music.) Though, he was sure RK would’ve told him the name and a boring history lesson about it, if both had stuck together. 

A small mass of guests a little farther ahead caught his attention. Gavin elbowed his way through the crowd and found himself standing close to the food table. Not stopping to see what it was, he grabbed at one of the sweets and took a bite.

Only to spit that shit out seconds later.

Whatever he had eaten felt like someone had dumped a sack of salt into his mouth. Swallowing a curse, Gavin tried to look for something to drink. A glass of water was tossed into his line of vision and he didn’t stop to think about who or how, he just downed it.

“I take it you didn’t like caviar.” A voice said back to him, sounding somewhat amused. He glared at the man dress in a black and white uniform with a blue mask and received a shy smile in response that. Well, at least he’d found some of his backup.

“Tasted like fucking sea water.”

“Well they _are_ fish eggs.”

It seemed Chris was on a mood to tease him tonight.

“I thought rich people’s food needed to be culinary good shit, what the fuck?” Fish eggs, he’d eaten fish- for fuck’s sake these people were crazy. Gavin rubbed a hand over his face before looking at the tray in Chris’ hand. “What’s that supposed to be?” They looked like small red cakes with a cream frosting, but after what he just experienced he needed to be sure.

“Red velvet cupcakes, want one?” The tray got right in his face and the sweet aroma did nothing but upset his already sore taste buds.

“Ugh, never mind.” Gavin groaned, not trusting Chris not to be another trap.

The music got suddenly interrupted by Swan guy as he asked the crowd if they were enjoying the night for which, he received a chorus of agreement. He used his hands to quiet the people down, throwing a warm laugh at the enthusiasm shown. 

“Markus seems to be having a good time,” Chris said as he threw a smile at the host. Something clicked in Gavin’s brain as he did a double take.

“That’s robo-Jesus, _the robo-Jesus?_ ” Gavin failed to hide his surprise. He kept his eyes on the man he now knew was Markus as he passed the mic to a blonde guy dressed in a beige suit with a bow tie.

“Yeah, this party is for them after all. Connor told me he was invited to come too but, as you know, work got in the way.”

“Uh-huh, yeah nice.” He said absently and even with the mask in the way, he was able to feel Chris’ disappointed look. “What do you want me to say? You know I don’t really listen to talks about those plastics.”

“Unless they involve a certain RK900, right?” Chris gave a tiny smirk as Gavin felt his own cheeks color. Not to be one to let things go so easily, the detective bumped the tray the other was holding and watched how Chris tried to balance it around to stop the food from falling.

Head turned around to see what the commotion was about and the two became the center of attention.  
  
“The service in this party is _atrocious_ ,” Gavin said in the most pretentious voice he could muster, “this guy almost threw all this food on me.” He made a show of dusting his suit while pretending to check there weren’t any stains on it.

“Deplorable” he finished, making sure to add a sneer like he was actually offended. Murmurs filled the hall as other guests started whispering to one another.  
  
Ignoring the glare thrown his way, Gavin took one of the pastries from the tray before going on his merry way, taking pleasure in hearing the other huff behind him. 

He took a tentative bite of the cupcake, relieved to find this one actually tasted _good,_ and let his eyes wander.

Finding the killer here would be akin to trying to find a needle in a haystack. The use of a mask left little facial expressions, if any, to see. Anyone could be their suspect and if they failed this Fowler would absolutely destroy, chop and cook his ass for breakfast. 

Gavin went from one guest to the other, checking regularly to make sure RK was still around the perimeter. The fact that the android was tall as a fucking tree certainly made spotting the familiar white mask moving around in the crowd easier.

At some point during his casual survey however, Gavin lost him.

"Shit," he grumbled and craned his head up to look over the sea of masks, but got no luck. He thought about calling the android, though there were few things that could put up a fight against that hunch of metal built like a truck. 

He glanced at the bar out of the corner of his eye. His throat was dry and he could still feel bits of those salty eggs stuck halfway through his chest. Fuck it, might as well go for a drink while he waited. That sentient roomba would show his face around when he felt like it.

Gavin took a seat on one of the stools with his back to the counter. He looked up at the ceiling, thinking how really fucking grinding it was that he was craving for a cig' right now.

"What can I give you?" A feminine voice asked him and a smile slowly made his way on Gavin's lips.

"Hey there gorgeous." Brown eyes glared at him through the sockets of yet, another blue mask that matched the theme of the party. It made him wonder just who had come up with the idea of putting so much fucking blue in here.

"Flattery won't get you anywhere." Tina replied while cleaning the counter.

"But I might get a discount," Gavin winked at her as he looked through the drinks,"whisky on the rocks."

"So you're trying to get shitfaced while _on_ the job, somehow I'm not surprised." The golden swirls on the shoulders of her black waistcoat moved as she went to prepare the drink.

"By the way, have you seen tall, dark and stoic as hell around?" Gavin watched Tina make a face as she got a glass from the wall. 

"Don't tell me you lost him," she scolded, not bothering to hide the mom-tone in her voice.

"I did not lose him," he defended, "he's like a fucking ghost, I swear he was there and when I looked again he wasn’t!"

"Last time I saw him he was by the doors," she said with a sigh and passed the drink to Gavin. The ice clinked against the glass as he brought it to his lips.

"Why the fuck would he be there?" 

"Beats me, last I checked I'm not his partner." 

Gavin kindly flipped her the bird under the table for that.

"Real mature." She rolled her eyes at him. At Gavin’s questioning look, she gave him a dull stare, "you're not as subtle as you like to think." He dropped his glass on the counter and smirked, ready to throw some punches in as well.

"And you're as much of a bitch as-."

"Excuse me." Both jumped as someone cut in politely. Gavin turned to see a woman dressed in a long silk purple dress with shiny sequins around her chest. She was wearing a full mask with red butterfly wings that'd flutter every few seconds. "Would you care for a dance?" She asked and extended her arm.  
  
He raised and eyebrow at her, wondering why the fuck would she ask _him_. But then, he noticed how almost everyone was forming pairs and realized a different type of music had began to play in the background. 

They were getting ready for a fucking waltz.

"Look ma’am I don't--."

"Oh he would be glad to." Gavin’s eyes widened as Tina pushed him towards the woman. Before he could even ask what the hell she was thinking, the woman grabbed his hands and began leading him to the dance floor. Gavin poured all his hate into the glare he threw at Tina over his shoulder. She gave him a thumbs up in return and drank the rest of his drink. Just for that sin, she was getting on the death list.

The woman got her arms around Gavin's neck and he wrapped his arms around her hips in reflex. She gave a forced smile he did not return and urged him to move as the song changed. He slowly started spinning her around, moving awkwardly from side to side. That was as far as his knowledge about dancing went.

Even with the full mask on, Gavin could see how the woman was quickly beginning to regret taking him as a dancing partner. But whatever embarrassment she was bearing did not compare to his. He'd always been shit at dancing. The only time he ever did that with was Tina and it was only because the two had been past the point of alcohol intoxication at the time.

His saving grace came in the form of a hand settling on his shoulder.

"May I steal you partner for a moment?" A deep, familiar voice asked and as soon as RK took hold of Gavin's wrist she fled away from the scene. Good fucking riddance.

"Where in the fuck were you?" Gavin asked as he was lead through the dance floor, barely stopping himself from colliding with other people. He tried to yank his wrist free, but RK's grip remained unwavering. Give him some credit though, he knew better than to cause a scene, at least while undercover.

"Hey answer me you glorified toaster," he said again once RK got them on the spot he wanted.

"I was outside," he replied and let go of Gavin as the song came to an end.

"Doing what? Admiring the fucking view?"

"I was checking for potential places that could be used to…" RK hesitated as a couple got too close to them. Gavin grinned as he saw the struggle within those icy eyes to find the right words to talk about his findings, without giving too much away at the same time. The feathers fluttered up and down as the android threw him a confused look, it was hard not to laugh at the silly image.

He decided to throw him a bone.

"So, anyone you got your eyes on?" RK breathed out as he picked up on the subtleties of the question.

"One."

"Android or human?"

"Human." He said with a tilt of his head as a new song started playing.

"What are we doing here then? Let's go get this motherfucker." Gavin said, a tad louder as the music raised in volume. He made a move to leave but a strong arm wrapped around his waist and another grabbed his hand. He was brought closer as a body pressed against him. From this distance, Gavin could see clearly how the pixels were shifting along on that stupidly beautiful mask.

"RK what the fuck-?" The android let go of Gavin's hand and used his fingers to clasp his mouth shut.

"Right now our prime suspect is standing five meters away from our location, observing the show. Most likely looking for his next victims." He whispered and turned Gavin's head slightly to his left. Gavin saw a man in a black suit and equally plain mask sitting in one of the chairs. He was playing with a glass of wine, red, as his eyes travelled across the room, eyeing the dancing couples."We cannot made him suspicious of our intentions, until we know for sure he's the one."

Gavin's eyes found RK's again as the android rocked their bodies back and forth, following the rhythm of the music. "That doesn't mean you need to dance with _me,_ " he whispered harshly after the grip on his jaw loosened.

"We _need_ to play the part and wait for an opening. Then we'll take action." The other explained. Gavin wanted to tell him to fuck off with that logic, further infuriated by the fact he knew RK was right, as always. That man could very well be the killer, but they needed proof. 

They couldn't fuck up now by being reckless.

"Fine," he clasped one hand around the android's and said, "one song." His voice left no room for arguing.

"Of course, follow my lead."

"Who ever said you were leading?" Gavin got a blank stare in return. Right.

"Your dancing skills are not the most...admirable." 

"Why don't you kick my balls while you're at it?" He sneered at the android but stumbled over his feet as RK spun their bodies around without warning, "shit, _shit!_ " He cursed as his shoes connected with the android's.

"You're doing great," RK encouraged softly.

"You lying fuck, I just stomped on _both_ of your feet!"

"But you're learning." Gavin couldn't really say ' _learning_ ' was the right word for the slaughter he was committing.

"If you were a human, you'd be screaming bloody murder right now."

"It is a good thing then, that I am not." RK gave a wink, or at least tried to, making Gavin huff as he tried to keep up with the dancing. At the end of the song, he’d only stepped on RK three more times as opposed to the ten he'd expected. As the music decreased its tempo, Gavin focused on looking at his feet, making sure he was getting every move right. 

"It looks good on you." The sudden voice brought a startle out of him, causing Gavin to act like an idiot again. He looked back up and found half-lidded icy eyes watching him.

"What?" 

"The mask, it looks good on you."

"Oh yeah, must be fucking great not having to see my scarred face." Gavin said with a chuckle. He'd never been self-conscious about his scar but knew he wasn't the most pretty man to look at. RK gave him a quick shake of his head.

"Not what I meant."

"Then, what _did_ you mean?" 

He leaned into Gavin’s personal space, awfully close. The music grew louder still as the pairs around them began to move again, but the android's only focus seemed to be on his partner. Holographic feathers fell between them and Gavin swore that RK's eyes looked the softest he'd ever seen. 

He looked…he looked beautiful, had always been actually and dammit Gavin was not ashamed to admit that, internally at least.

"Hey Tin Man, what are-"

"Gavin." The whisper of his real name shook him into silence. He could count on his fingers the times RK had ever used his name. Gavin gave a small yelp as RK slowed down and lowered him into a perfect dip, heart beating wildly inside his chest as he tried to fully process what was happening.

No way, no way he _wasn't…_

RK tightened the grip on his hip and put one hand on the back of his head. "I…" his eyes shifted upwards abruptly and Gavin noticed how the skin on his temple got painted in a yellow light. "The suspect is moving," he pulled away, eyes hardening as he uttered the following words, "we need to go." The poker face set in as RK got him back on his feet and Gavin couldn't help but think of this as a rejection.

He was being fucking stupid, it was not like this roomba had been about to _kiss_ him for fuck's sake. Of course he'd been trying to tell him more information about the case. He was just _playing the part_ as he'd said, watching to make sure the killer was still within sight.

They were on a mission after all.

"Yeah, yeah let's get a move on." His voice didn't waver, it didn't.

RK opened his mouth, as if about to say something else, but then thought better of it. With a click of his jaw, he followed after their suspect. Gavin looked at the bar again and located Tina. He gestured to the garden doors and watched how she asked to be excused. He breathed in slowly to calm his nerves before going after the Tin-can.

He got what RK had been trying to say once he got outside. 

First, the fountain was the only well lit place, accentuating the small sets of flowers around it. The paths were only lit by a line of fairy lights on each side, not enough to light all the tables or varnished pews. The few people outside didn’t seem to mind it much, as the lack of illuminations let them enjoy a pretty sight of the cloudless sky.

There was an adjacent building a few feet away from the main hall, probably a storage area, and behind that a short fence with a path that extended into a park, barely lit by the silver light of the moon. You could very well get away with murder there.

RK walked around like a hound trying to find a scent, stopping every few minutes to analyse the soil and the footprints marked on it. Gavin was amazed to hear that around five to seven people had headed in the direction of the park at some point during the party. It didn’t take a genius to know why a couple would search for a dark, quiet place, other than by force of sheer stupidity.

“Can’t fucking keep it in their pants, huh?” He teased with a snicker.

“I wouldn’t be so quick to judge, given your search history.” 

“When the fuck did you looked through my--?”

“These tracks match with the shoe model of our suspect, he went this way," RK informed before jumping over the fence, completely ignoring the question. He ran off into the trees before Gavin could give him a piece of his mind. 

"Hey you fucking toaster, wait up." He called out after him, but the idiot either didn’t hear or didn’t care. 

Gavin crossed over and tried to keep up with the android, but they didn’t call RK ‘top of the line’ for nothing. He watched him disappear behind a huge rock and as soon as he rounded the boulder, he realized he had lost him for the second time tonight.  
  
“Shit-God dammit!” How? _How_ could these fucking plastics disappear like fucking spiders in his kitchen? Gavin walked, following the path, trying to catch glimpses of blue lights moving around but he could barely see shit as it was. “Damn toaster and his night-vision.” 

He stopped when he heard the sound of footsteps. Being worried about finding the stuck-up roomba, Gavin realized too late they were coming from behind him.  
  
Arms wrapped around his neck in a strong choke-hold and the faint smell of something foul reached his nostrils. 

Gavin threw his head back and hit his attacker’s nose which caused the grip to loosen up enough for him to wriggle out of it. He spun around and took some steps back, trying to localise his attacker in the darkness. As he went for his gun, a hand twisted his wrist painfully and smacked his body against the trunk of a tree.

When felt the cold metal of a blade against his neck he knew he was screwed.

"Move and you're dead." Gavin froze, his teeth clattered loudly as the muscle of his jaw clenched. A mantra of _fuck_ , _fuck_ running in his head as a gloved hand grabbed his phone. Cold eyes stared down at him, mouth set into a scowl as their suspect glared at his mask now laying on the ground. He patted Gavin's body and took his gun and the badge he had hidden in the inner pocket of his suit.

“A cop?” the guy grumbled as he glanced at the inscription. “I knew there was something off about you two, took you long enough to find me. Now where is the other one?"

"Don't know what you're talking about." He played dumb, praying that RK was close enough to listen and figure out a way to knock this sick fuck out. His badge was dropped as fingers gripped his hair and tugged, baring his neck even more to the weapon.

"Don't get smart with me, I saw how you two were quite cozy at the party."

"I didn't know that guy, it was just a thing of the moment-."

"Rod?" _Fucking shit._

Both men turned just in time to see the tall android appear from behind them, his white mask making him look like a wandering ghost in the darkness of the forest.

"Ah there you are," The killer laughed before he spun them around, "take off your mask." He rasped at RK as he pressed the blade to Gavin’s skin, not yet breaking it, but warning. RK stood still for a few seconds, probably trying to pre-construct a way to save him, though Gavin doubted there was one. 

“Claude Faraday, I’m sure we can talk about this in a civil way.” RK said and brought his palms up, trying to look non-threatening. The body behind the detective shifted lightly, the knife lowered for a second.

“How do you know my name?” 

“I know a great deal about you.” A frown showed on his partner’s face as he reviewed the information Gavin knew was being displayed on his HUD. “You used to have a wife, did you not?”

“Shut up.” Faraday spat and Gavin groaned as he felt the grip on his head tighten painfully. 

“You loved her, but she didn’t feel the same, did she?” RK ignored the command completely, opting for the emotional approach. “You used to have an android as well.” He took a step closer, making his voice a tad softer. “A caretaker to look after her when you couldn’t.”

“Don’t you talk about things you don’t understand, you piece of plastic.”

“Because you just couldn’t be with her most of the time, couldn’t take care of the person you claimed to love.” The android kept prompting, focusing on the painful memories and trying to distract the man so he could get close enough to incapacitated him.

“I was at work! A fucking plastic like you couldn’t even begin to understand. I made sure she had all that money so she could buy whatever she wanted!”

“But she wasn’t pleased with material things, she wanted company.” Another step. “You were hurt and angry that she could find that with another...” he said, guessing what had happened. His gaze flickered from Faraday to Gavin “...that you weren’t the one for her.” 

“She left me for a fucker like you! All that talk about love? Fucking lies. She just wanted to run away with some plastic because your lot are just fucking perfect, aren’t you?” 

“Mr. Faraday--”

“Enough talk! Take your God-damn mask off.” Faraday dug the knife deeper, enough to make Gavin wince. 

RK slowly undid the knot and let the mask fall to the ground. His face gave nothing away but the calm image was shattered by the LED spinning out of control in swirls of red and amber.

“Oh this is perfect,” Faraday laughed and Gavin smelled the wine in his breath, "your pump, take it out." When RK failed to act fast enough, the man planted the blade deeper into the side of Gavin’s neck causing him to groan in pain. He felt a trail of blood drip along his neck and get into his clothes. Gavin tried to glare at this bastard before looking back at RK. His LED was now _red, red_ , as red as the stains on the collar of his shirt. "I don't have the whole night, and neither does your friend here." 

_Don't you dare do it,_ he glared the message at RK, hoping to get it into his thick skull. Gavin's life wasn't worth losing his and they both knew an android had better chances of getting at this fucker than a piece of shit detective that he was. His eyes actually widened when RK's hands went for the buttons of his waistcoat, then for the ones on his shirt.

_No, no…_

"You fucking shithead, don't--"

"Ah-ah." A yank of his head and another superficial cut, "thin ice." RK kept his eyes on them as he grabbed the edges of the pump regulator and pulled. "Toss it here." Faraday pointed at their feet and all Gavin could do was watch as his partner obeyed, gaze never leaving them. 

Fingers covered in blue put the pump on the ground and made it roll over ending, by some twisted joke of fate, right at Gavin’s feet. He wanted nothing more than to kick the glowing cylinder back at him. 

RK's body slumped over, his legs bent shakily before losing their strength completely and his body toppled to the ground like a ragdoll.

"RK!" Gavin yelled as he watched him fall. He didn’t really need to see the LED to know time was running short. Once the pump was removed it was all down to minutes before his partner turned off completely. The fact made a tight knot form in the pit of his stomach.

"These Tin-cans are so gullible," Faraday say with a chuckle," you promise no harm will come to their loved ones and they'll do as told. Too bad it won't be enough to save you." Where the fuck was his back up? "Though I want to see the look on your face as he _dies_ first." The hand holding Gavin's hair went for his mask.

Just as fingers slipped under the plastic, a gunshot rang through the air. Gavin heard a pained scream behind him before the knife was dropped. He didn't waste his chance and quickly tangled a leg with the killer's, elbowed him in the face and twisted him so that he fell on the ground face first. Gavin then got on top of him and twisted both hands behind his back and absently followed the trail of blood oozing from Faraday’s kneecap.

“Fuck you!” the man shouted as he tried to headbutt Gavin with the back of his head, but all that got him was an arm on his neck to keep him on the ground.

"Gavin!" Tina’s voice called, making him turn to look at her as she was tucking her gun back in the strap on her belt and coming up to help him. Chris and Wilson running just a few inches behind her.

“About fucking time T,” he handed over the cuffs and kept the struggling bastard still while Tina worked on the wrists. 

“I’m sorry, your boyfriend wasn’t very clear with directions.” 

He’d normally have given her crap for that, but his mind had more important matters to worry about, someone.

"You guys got this?" He asked after he gave a kick to the bleeding leg, getting another scream followed by a curse from the sick fuck. When he got a nod from the three, he grabbed the pump and ran to where the android was laying. “What’s wrong with the android?” Gavin heard Wilson ask, but didn’t answer. He rolled RK's body over to gain access to the hole in his chest. His hands moved to get the clothes out of the way, barely glancing at the thirium leaking on his skin and ruining his outfit.

Gavin's hand held on the pump for dear life and he noticed it wasn’t as smooth as it looked. It felt rough on his skin and jagged like some kind of big, complex key. He knew he needed to put it back but how was he supposed to do this? Just stick it in and hope for the best? 

"Hey RK, hey come on asshole. Help me here." His voice came softer that he intended as he took in the state of his partner.

The android’s eyes were closed and his mouth was set into a thin line. He stupidly tried to see if his chest was moving, before remembering the one thing he should be looking for. As long as the LED was still on he would be fine, this could be fixed.

Gavin felt his breathing cutting short and a wave of cold dread when he laid eyes where a shiny LED should be. It was impossible to make in this dimness, which meant it wasn't glowing, which meant…

No, no Gavin fucking _refused_ , this was not the end for him. There were androids back at the party, one of them could help them, if Gavin could get to them fast enough. But as he went to get up and tell Tina to bring help, he felt a weak tug at his hand. He looked back to the android and saw a faint red light fill the blackness on RK’s temple.

"RK?" The fingers wrapped around his writs tugged again and with trembling breaths Gavin let his hand be leaded.

He positioned the pump where the pale hand showed him and slotted it back in place without hesitation. There was a moment of quietness as the light slowly turned to yellow. RK's eyelids fluttered open, then his body shot up like a rocket. Gavin got a hold of his arms to stop the android from falling again.

"You fucking dick, what were you _thinking_?!" RK took deep, unnecessary breaths and blinked rapidly. His eyes moved from one corner to the other before coming back to look ahead, trying to orient himself back in time and space. He looked like someone who had just woken up from a nightmare. To Gavin, it sure as hell had felt like one for a second there. 

After one last breath, blue eyes finally settled on grey ones and hands tried to reach for his neck.

"Are you alright, detective?" Of course that would be the first thing to come out of his mouth, of all the possible things.

"You're asking _me_ about being alright when you basically ripped your own heart out?!" Gavin thumped RK’s chest with one fist and shoved the hands away with the other, "what was the big idea here?"

"I sent a message the moment your life was in danger. I needed to buy enough time so that the other officers could--."

"I don't fucking care! You don't get to put your life on the line like that!" RK shut up and looked down, LED swirling in a mix of blue and yellow. 

"I'm…sorry." He said slowly, looking like a kicked puppy. Gavin thought he finally understood what Anderson meant when he talked about Connor. 

“Learn to have some self-preservation, you rusted bucket of shit.” He deflated, muttering inaudible garbage and sat next to his junkbot. "We need to call this in," he sighed.

"I sent a distress signal and Officer Chen made a second call. Back up should be here soon."

"With that gunshot I bet everyone is coming here to see what happened." Tina said, leading a now limp man to the gates.

She wasn't kidding, the whole place became a mess in a matter of minutes. A fucking mass of people tried to get a glimpse of the killer as he was taken to the car, flashing of cameras going all around as they started to ask questions. Gavin felt kind of bad that it was Chris who ended up the one having to keep all those leeches in check. 

"What a way to crash a fucking party," he said to himself.  
  
At some point during the whole thing, Gavin ended up sitting on a bench with RK's coat acting as a blanket and a bottle of water by his side. Said android was giving the last details to the other cops.

Tina sat down next to him and took out a small gauze from her front pocket. She opened the packet and drenched them with the bottle before gesturing to his neck.

"Really?" Gavin asked with a laugh as she tilted his head to look at the cuts.

"It's you we're talking about, figured I'd come prepared, you already scared the paramedics away," he flinched as she cleaned the wounds, "gonna take that thing off anytime soon?" She asked.

It took a minute to Gavin to realize she was talking about the mask now laying on top of his head.

"Too much fucking work," he grunted. This whole night had been too much everything. He just wanted to get home and sleep curled around his cats. 

“Hey T, got a smoke?”  
  
“Sorry G, weren’t allowed inside.” Tina gave him an apologetic smile.

“Fucking bummer,” he groaned, closing his eyes. He could’ve used the nicotine right now.

"Detective, may I speak with you?" Gavin was brought back to reality by a voice and soon found himself staring at a pair of piercing blue eyes.

"Yeah, sure." Tina bumped him playfully as he got up and followed after RK.

He lead them away from the noise then turned behind a wall and stopped, looking over Gavin with his hands behind his back. The smaller detective shifted awkwardly from foot to foot, waiting for the android to say whatever the hell needed so much privacy. 

"So you got me here," he said after a moment of the android being a statue. He snapped his fingers in front of his face, "fess up. I want to get to my fucking apartment _before_ the sun comes up." 

He expected words of advice, maybe an essay about what ‘this’ and ‘that’ he could’ve done better. His mind went blank when strong arms enveloped him in a hug and soft, silk hair brushed against his cheek.

"I'm glad you are okay," RK muttered into the fabric of his suit, tightening the hold around his middle as he said the next words. “You’re still here.” 

Gavin didn't know how to react, tense in the embrace as the android reassured himself that his partner was still alive. "Hey, hey Tin--RK I'm fine, still kicking and all that shit." He patted the arms holding him, laughing uneasily. “Shouldn’t I be the one telling you this?”

"It's not just that, there’s… may I try something?" He asked shyly as he stepped back. Gavin gave him a weird look but hell, what the android probably had in store for him couldn't be worse than almost dying.

"Be my guest toaster." 

RK slid his mask back on and turned on the holograms. In a blink his head was filled with hundreds of tiny specks of light. The android peeled the skin off his arm, uncovering his white chassis, and touched the side of the mask. Gavin watched how the holographic started to re-arrange around him, forming a flashing series of zeros and ones. When his only response was silence, the android repeated the sequence once more, slowly this time. 

Gavin chuckled and RK’s eyebrows furrowed the smallest bit. "I can't read binary, you idiot." 

The other blinked dumbly, suddenly realizing that what was basically his mother tongue wouldn’t really translate well to a human. Slowly, the numbers changed into letters. Gavin's eyes widened as he read the sentence in front of him.

_I care about you._

"Just because I don't express it often doesn't mean I am incapable of feeling it." The message dissipated as the feathers went back to idly falling and dissipating into geometric patterns. "I...I don't know why, I have not gathered enough data on this matter.” RK brought a hand to his chest. “But I know I feel something warm in here when I'm with you. It is similar to the feelings Connor transmits to me about Hank when we interface but...not quite like that at the same time.” His voice grew more unsure as the other remained speechless.

“It frustrates me sometimes, that I am unable to describe what this is properly." He said and touched the bridge of Gavin’s nose."And I do like your scar." Holding Gavin’s hands close to his chest, he brought them right over his pump." I find it intriguing, as much as I find you endearing."

RK looked away and his LED went back to a bright yellow.

"You showed signs of attraction during our dance. I concluded you wanted me to kiss you back then. Is that, is that correct?" Gavin's cheeks warmed up and he tried to yank his hands free but the android held tight.

"Because if that’s still the case then I can do it, I--I really want to." He sounded so genuine with those eyes shining like the stars around them. Pleading as his LED changed to red, looking the most emotional Gavin had ever seen him be. And he couldn't deny he'd come to care about the android too in the time they'd worked together. This Tin-can had wormed his way into his heart.

He knew that Gavin was a mess, an asshole who hurt more times that he healed and yet... 

"What are you waiting for?" 

...if this toaster truly wanted him, wanted the disaster that was Gavin fucking Reed then, who was he to object?  
  
Gavin wiggled his hands away from RK's and wrapped them around the android's neck, bringing their foreheads together. "Fucking kiss me already," he whispered against the other’s lips and RK did. 

He gave him a chaste kiss under the moonlight.

**Author's Note:**

> Come join and check out [The New ERA Discord](https://discord.gg/GqvNzUm), we're full of crazy.


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